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Abstract

the rest of you, please read on…</p><h2 id="97ac">Purging Clothes, Shoes, and Bags</h2><p id="6e81">I have closets full of clothes, yet I usually only wear a few of the same things over and over again. I have my “skinny clothes,” which I save “just in case” I lose all that weight. I also have my “fat clothes,” which I’m usually wearing most of the time. I have those few outfits that I save for special occasions, most of which don’t fit me. Still, I know that I’ll have the motivation to lose weight when and if that special occasion is on the horizon.</p><p id="2473">I have a lot of shoes too, but once again, I only ever wear a select few pairs over and over again. I swear that my feet spread every year. Shoes that used to fit me either no longer do, or they hurt my feet. Am I ever going to wear them again?</p><p id="e053">And I have plenty of bags and purses. There are my favorites, which are well worn, but I can’t bring myself to toss. And there are those that I’ve never even used, but I save just in case I need a bag of that color one day.</p><p id="44e4">If you’ve not worn or used something in the last 6 months, get rid of it. You can always sell clothing if it has value, or you can give it to your local charity shop.</p><p id="33a9">A neat technique that I’ve adopted is to turn all my hangers around backward. Then once I’ve worn an item of clothing, I turn the hanger around the right way. After 6 months, whichever hangers are still backward are the items I need to purge.</p><h2 id="4e89">Knickknacks, Wall Hangings, and Pictures</h2><p id="6bbc">Are your walls, countertops, and furniture covered with pictures and knickknacks? If so, ask yourself if that item still gives you pleasure. It looks so much better to have sparsely decorated walls and empty countertops. If you want to keep something, is it necessary to “display” it, or can you put it in a drawer or cupboard?</p><h2 id="beda">Let’s Get Digital</h2><p id="92d8">There is no other option than to go digital when it comes to videos/movies, music, books, and paperwork. You may want to keep

Options

a few cherished books or vinyl record albums that have value. Everything else can be streamed or stored online these days.</p><p id="bd61">In recent months, I’ve opted to go “paperless” and digitalize all my paperwork. I have a scanner app on my phone that converts each document to a pdf when I take a photo. I’ve digitalized all my essential documents so that I can now access them wherever I am. I keep a hard copy of things like birth/marriage certificates and house deeds. I’ve thrown everything else away.</p><p id="aa8f">I hear some of you ask, “But isn’t it dangerous to do that? What if my computer crashes and I lose everything?” I hear you! If you go the digital route, you’ll need to have a proper back-up plan in place.</p><p id="d392">I have 3 back-up plans:</p><ol><li>I have all my important documents and digital media backed up to the cloud.</li><li>I have all those same things backed up onto a physical hard drive in my office.</li><li>I also have everything backed up to a third-party back-up service.</li></ol><h2 id="4fd7">Takeaways and conclusion</h2><p id="884c">Holding on to too many things or hoarding implies scarcity. You’re keeping something because you unconsciously fear that you’ll not be able to get any more. Giving items away sends a signal of plenty to your unconscious mind and the universe. By doing this, you are saying that these things are readily available and not scarce.</p><p id="6792">The more you give to others, the more you will receive. They say that if you keep the abundance of the universe circulating, it is given back to you 10x times over. Generosity usually results in people reciprocating and being generous to you as well. And it feels good to give and help others.</p><p id="132e">Becoming more minimalistic with your things declutters your mind. Creativity needs space, and your mind needs space for new thinking to arise. I find that when I clear my physical space, this also opens up space in my mind. It is perhaps only symbolic, but minimalism in my home creates a sense of freedom in my mind.</p></article></body>

Declutter Your Life, Declutter Your Mind

Why minimalism leads to abundance and clarity.

In the pre-pandemic days, I used to travel a lot on business. My TripIt app tells me that I was on the road 238 days during 2019. I used to pride myself on taking nothing more than a carry-on roller bag on these trips. In that bag, I would have all the personal items that I needed. The case also contained a speaker, laptop, headphones, cables, and connectors. All this equipment was necessary to deliver my training programs.

The most extended business trip I ever took (to Asia) lasted a total of 28 days. Of course, I needed to replace my small bottles of toiletries and get my laundry done along the way. But I managed to live out of a tiny suitcase, and it wasn’t a hardship at all.

What I find noteworthy is the fact that I had EVERYTHING that I needed and wanted. With technology these days, my phone, tablet, and laptop provided me with the full monty. I had books to read, movies to watch, music to listen to, and a camera to record my journey. I also had a mobile office, access to research and breaking news, and a connection to my family and friends.

When I returned from my extended business trip, I suddenly became aware of all the “stuff” I had in my 5-bedroom house. Why did I need all these things? I had lived very comfortably out of a small suitcase for 28 days and hadn’t missed anything.

If you’re lucky enough to be a minimalist, you can stop reading now because this probably won’t resonate with you. Or, if you’re already very digitalized, you may also not find much in this article that is of use. As for the rest of you, please read on…

Purging Clothes, Shoes, and Bags

I have closets full of clothes, yet I usually only wear a few of the same things over and over again. I have my “skinny clothes,” which I save “just in case” I lose all that weight. I also have my “fat clothes,” which I’m usually wearing most of the time. I have those few outfits that I save for special occasions, most of which don’t fit me. Still, I know that I’ll have the motivation to lose weight when and if that special occasion is on the horizon.

I have a lot of shoes too, but once again, I only ever wear a select few pairs over and over again. I swear that my feet spread every year. Shoes that used to fit me either no longer do, or they hurt my feet. Am I ever going to wear them again?

And I have plenty of bags and purses. There are my favorites, which are well worn, but I can’t bring myself to toss. And there are those that I’ve never even used, but I save just in case I need a bag of that color one day.

If you’ve not worn or used something in the last 6 months, get rid of it. You can always sell clothing if it has value, or you can give it to your local charity shop.

A neat technique that I’ve adopted is to turn all my hangers around backward. Then once I’ve worn an item of clothing, I turn the hanger around the right way. After 6 months, whichever hangers are still backward are the items I need to purge.

Knickknacks, Wall Hangings, and Pictures

Are your walls, countertops, and furniture covered with pictures and knickknacks? If so, ask yourself if that item still gives you pleasure. It looks so much better to have sparsely decorated walls and empty countertops. If you want to keep something, is it necessary to “display” it, or can you put it in a drawer or cupboard?

Let’s Get Digital

There is no other option than to go digital when it comes to videos/movies, music, books, and paperwork. You may want to keep a few cherished books or vinyl record albums that have value. Everything else can be streamed or stored online these days.

In recent months, I’ve opted to go “paperless” and digitalize all my paperwork. I have a scanner app on my phone that converts each document to a pdf when I take a photo. I’ve digitalized all my essential documents so that I can now access them wherever I am. I keep a hard copy of things like birth/marriage certificates and house deeds. I’ve thrown everything else away.

I hear some of you ask, “But isn’t it dangerous to do that? What if my computer crashes and I lose everything?” I hear you! If you go the digital route, you’ll need to have a proper back-up plan in place.

I have 3 back-up plans:

I have all my important documents and digital media backed up to the cloud.
I have all those same things backed up onto a physical hard drive in my office.
I also have everything backed up to a third-party back-up service.

Takeaways and conclusion

Holding on to too many things or hoarding implies scarcity. You’re keeping something because you unconsciously fear that you’ll not be able to get any more. Giving items away sends a signal of plenty to your unconscious mind and the universe. By doing this, you are saying that these things are readily available and not scarce.

The more you give to others, the more you will receive. They say that if you keep the abundance of the universe circulating, it is given back to you 10x times over. Generosity usually results in people reciprocating and being generous to you as well. And it feels good to give and help others.

Becoming more minimalistic with your things declutters your mind. Creativity needs space, and your mind needs space for new thinking to arise. I find that when I clear my physical space, this also opens up space in my mind. It is perhaps only symbolic, but minimalism in my home creates a sense of freedom in my mind.